Once he was dry I worked him over with a sanding block. That turned up a few areas that were too thin, so I added another layer in places, and then back into the oven to dry overnight. Sanded him again, and called it good:

Base color is burnt umber again:

And then some wood grain. My wife said he looked like he was wearing pin-stripes. The real Ngendei has quite distinct (and regular) cracks, so I did those initially and will come back later and add lighter cracks, if necessary.

Then I started on the colors for his body, which went pretty quickly:

ETRphiles may note that I'm going for a classic color scheme - the real Ngendei is sporting a blueish paint job at the moment, but we thought he'd be a better match for Pele this way.

Hey JB, Really enjoying this thread. You’re proving to be quite the craftsperson. See if you can use this tip; If your piece is still wet when you call it a night, set it atop the water heater ( mine is in an enclosed space inside the house). Almost certainly dry in the A M.
Keep churning out that goodlooking stuff!
Cheers

JB,Every piece that I have made is kept indoors.I still use a “finish” on them. Gives em the look of ceramic (glossy) and they are much easier to dust/clean. Also comes in a “matte” finish which I have not used. At most craft stores.
Cheers